Samir Nasri will miss the next five weeks of the new season, just like he missed the first two months of last season.

The fact that he joins six other Arsenal players on the treatment table in August (Emmanuel Frimpong has just done his cruciates) following the ten who were out for long periods last season, should worry Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal’s permanent injury crisis is starting to look more than bad luck, as Andre Arshavin pointed out in May. For a man credited with bringing science to the English game, surely it’s time to shake up his own sports science team (or the trainer and his bucket as we used to call him).

It’s hard enough trying to stop free-spending Manchester City leap-frogging you in the league as it is.

When your dressing room permanently resembles the set of Holby City it’s nigh-on impossible.

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Re: Nicolas Anelka’s 18-match international ban. It’s always a shame when a legend learns he’s played his last competitive game for his country isn’t it? Do you think there’s a good chance the French nation will become outraged at such shabby treatment and demand he’s given a grand, one-off, testimonial-type, thank-you, send-off before his retirement? Or is it only the English who suffer such sad delusions of nostalgia?

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I’m a bit worried for the moustachioed Joey Barton after saying he won’t shave off his facial hair until Newcastle win a Premier League game. He’s already the most hated man in Britain.

Imagine how worse that’s going to get in a few months time when he runs on to the pitch looking like Osama bin Laden?